Warren makes final pitch to supporters

Saturday

Nov 3, 2012 at 4:00 PMNov 3, 2012 at 5:18 PM

By John J. Monahan TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Two veteran Central Massachusetts campaigners, U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester and Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray joined Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren this afternoon to fire up local campaign workers they are counting on to create an advantage in a four-day final push for votes.

About 250 supporters and campaign volunteers, many of whom were labor union members, swarmed around Ms. Warren at the event in the parking lot of the United Steelworkers hall, clasping her hands, introducing their children and promising to help get out the vote for her on Tuesday.

"It is good to be here. Central Mass is the heart of Massachusetts and its going to be the heart of this campaign," Ms. Warren told the cheering crowd before offering them some of her closing arguments in the campaign.

She talked about the importance of public education, the need for equal pay for equal work and keeping promises to military famlies and veterans.

Her opponent, Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown was scheduled to be in Worcester at 5:30 p.m. for a rally at Union Station.

Mr. Brown "too often stands with the millionaires, with the billionaires and with the big oil companies." I want to go to Washington to fight for working families. That is what it is all about for me," she said asking supporters to get others to the polls to vote for her.

"We've got four days. Are you ready to knock on doors, make the phone calls, make the plans to get yourself to vote, your family members to vote, your friends to vote, your neighbors to vote? Remember its about pursausion, but it is also about getting all those folks to the polls," Ms. Warren said with the audience roaring back in approval.

Mr. Murray said the election could be won or lost on the doorsteps of voters. "It's the grass roots. door-to-door effort, talking about the president, talking about Elizabeth Warren, that is going to win this," he said. "We may not have the most amount of money, but it's clear we have the most amount of heart and a great candidate in Elizabeth Warren," Mr. Murray said.

Ms. Warren has already played an important role standing up for working families throughout her career as a consumer advocate, Mr. Murray said. "Now she will be able to take it to the next level," as a member of the Senate, Mr. Murray said.

Mr. McGovern told the campaign canvassers they were "the secret weapon of this campaign."

"Scott Brown doesn't have this. Scott Brown has a lot of paid consultants and a lot of tv commercials and a lot of paid for mailings. What he doesn't have is this kind of army of volunteers, going door to door that are talking to their neighbors and their friends and everyone who will listen about the importance of this campaign," Mr. McGovern said.

"I feel like there is some wind at our back, but I am getting up this morning like I'm 20 points behind, because I don't want to stop until every vote we can possible get is in the ballot box," Mr. McGovern said, mentioning the impact campaign canvassers had in his 1996 victory over a Republican incumbent.

One of those canvassers, Barbara Merolli, a librarian from Auburn, said she has been knocking on doors on weekends over the last month urging people to vote for Ms. Warren and tracking voters who strongly support or are leading towards Ms. Warren. She said she can usually get to about 50 doors an hour. The early pitch at those doorsteps, she said was asking if people had heard about Ms. Warren and talking about her, but now she said she is mostly checking if people plan to get to the polls and telling them, "She's for the people."